Load equalizer for vehicles



R. A. HILLSTROM.

LOAD EQUALIZER FOR VEHICLES. APPLICATION men Alums, 1920.

1,403,687; I Patented Jan. 17,1922.

UNi'iED S'EIA'Z'ES PATE ROY A. HELLSTROM, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSO'GEI.

LOAD EQUALIZEH F@R VEHICLES.

urresv.

Specification of Letters Eatent.

lPatented J Application filed August 16, 1920. Serial No. 483,997]

certain new and useful Improvements inl'csd Equalizers for-Vehicles, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact descrlption, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings. forming a part hereof.

The presen U invention is directedtoimormreinents in load equalizers forvehicles,

and trucks in particular, the primary ohiect heir to provide amotor-truck de- :1 "ied to carry a given load, with means for takingcare or" any excess weight that may be loaded on the truck underspecialconditions or case of necessity, said means being in the iornrofa supplemental running wheel secured to the r truck at point midwaybetween the rear *ruclr wheels; This supplemental wheel 0prates asatraveling jack, a suitable spring seine however interposed between thewheel and the frame of the truck, said spring taking up a portion of theload imposed on the regular springs on which the rear end of the truckframe is supported. The advantages of the improvement will be clearlyapparent from the following detailed description in connection with theaccompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 represents a perspective of amotor truolr showing my invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is aperspective of the casting which supports the adjustable bearing towhich the supplemental wheel is swiveled; Fig. 3 is a side elevation ofthe parts constituting the improvement when assembled;

V 4 is an end view thereof, with parts in section; Fig. 5 is a top planof the supporting casting showing the manner of attaching the same tothe rear cross member of the truck frame; and Fig. 6 is a verticalmiddle sectional view of the supporting casting with the adjustablebearing mounted therein, the latter being adjusted to impose a part ofthe load on the fork carrying the supplemental wheel.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the chassis frame supported inthe rear by the springs 2 as well understood in the art. Secured to therear cross member of the frame 1 a middle point thereof is acasting thesame being formed with a channel a for receiving said cross member (Fig.3),

end of the frame of the pa ts being subsequently secured 'toether bybolts 5 passedthrough thev walls 1 the channel and through the crossmember s clearly shown in the drawings. Any e suitable supporting membersecured to reme 1 would fall within the scope of my invention. Formedwith the casting 3 is a screw soclretit which receivesan adjustthe lowerend inau enlarged bottom end of er a I11 .5. m for-"the reception of oneone lever 5 by means of whic imparted to the screw 1 ormed with a seriesof pcrip bore or the tllblilc a spindle 6 of a; i rill v ten th which ismounted a suppl rnental running" el 20, said wheel, and the usual reartruck wheels V ointly sustaining h load d-- L posited on the truck whenthe whee. w is adjusted to service position. Passed .L and or r 8 beween which e baseof the tori: 7 1s interposed coiled compression spring9; tr e stem 6 passing loosely through the coils of the spring and beingfreely rotatable in the bore of the tubular hearing or screw i. Theupper endoi thestem 6 is p ovided with a nut 10 to prevent the stem iromdropping out or" the bearing l once the same has been inserted thereintoas clearly obvious from the drawings.

The spring 9 is expanded when the bearing s is fully screwed into thesocket in (Figs. 3, 1-); and while the tread or the wheel to engages theground, yet, it does not me.- terially support any portion of the loadwhen the weight, of such load is not in excess of that for which thetruclr is designed. ll hen any excess loadis deposited on the truckhowever, the driver by unscrewing or lowering the screw bearing 4; 6)imposes increased tension on the spring 9 thereby compressing it, thiscompression in turn relieving the springs 2 of a portion of the loaddeposited on the truck. *t is obvious that the further the bearing 4 isunscrewed or depressed the greaterv will be the compression of thespring 9, and the less the tension imposedon the truck-springs 2. Byproper adjustment of the bearing 4i the load to lift the truck frame andthe load deposited thereon, said load in turn imposing increased tensionon the spring9, which thus assists the springs 2 in supporting the load.

In the present embodiment of my inven-. tion the vertical adjustment ofthe bearing 4 is accomplished by means of a screw and socketarrangement; but it is apparent that any other manner of adjusting themember by which the stem 6 of the wheel fork is supported falls withinthe spirit of my invention. Obviously, the details of constructionmight, be changed materially without involving a departure from theinvention. In the form here shown and where a screw bearing such as 4 1semployed, the surfaces between the disk 8 and the bottom of the casting3 should be well lubricated so as to reduce the poses of adjustment. Thespindle 6 being freely rotatable in the bore of the screw bearing 4permits the vehicle to turn without material resistance on the part, ofthe wheel 10.

Having described my invention what I claim 1s:

1. In combination with a motor-truck a compression spring coiled aboutthe lower 7 portion of the spindle and interposed between the base ofthe fork and the bottom of the bearing, and a running wheel mounted inthe fork.

2. A traveling jack for vehicles, comprising a tubular screw-bearing, asocket member for receiving the same, said membernbeing securable to thevehicle, a forkprovided with aspindle loosely traversing the bore of thescrew bearing, a compression spring coiled about the lower portionof thespindle and interposed between the base of the fork and the bottom ofthe bearing,a runningv wheel mounted between the fork "members, and 7means for rotating the screw bearing from a point outside the socketmember supporting the same.

. friction when the screw is turned for pur- In testimony whereof Iaffixmy signature,

in presence of two witnesses. j

ROY A. HILLSTROM.

Witnesses:

EMIL STAREK,

Jos. A. MICHEL.

